How to always have time for what you love (at and outside of work)

"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." - Marthe Troly-Curtin

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Hi there,

How was your last week?

Mine was a good busy one: I rehearsed for an upcoming keynote, finalized a workshop for a luxury brand, coached clients, and celebrated my father's birthday.

Now, let me ask - do you ever wonder how some people seem to get more done in the same 24 hours?

I once overhead a colleague say, "Kate has no life - just work."

Years ago, they might've been right.

But by 2021, nothing could be further from the truth.

At the time, I was leading a global client experience team, covering my manager's maternity leave, and still fit into my week:

?? 1 hike

?? 1 hour of tennis

?? 3 yoga sessions

?? 2-3 hours of Netflix

?? 4-5 hours of reading

?? 1 hour of dance class

?? 1-2 dinners with friends

??? ?? 3 hours of beach tennis

Oh, and that year, I earned a raise, a bonus, and a special performance bonus. ??????

Why am I sharing this?

Because I learned something vital in my 30s: the quality of time at work defines the quality of your life outside of it (Brian Tracy.)

But if you're not clear on the quality you want, no amount of extra hours will help you get there.

I won't be sharing my secret with that colleague - but I'm sharing it with you.

the why

In my 30s, I accepted a hard truth: There's no magic wand for managing time.

For the first half of my 15-year corporate career, I believed the more hours I worked, the more I'd achieve.

That belief nearly pushed me to burnout, leading to temporary vision losses.

It was my wake-up call.

Here's what I realized: Productivity is about managing energy, not time.

• The more energy you have, the longer you can focus.
• The longer you focus, the quicker you complete tasks.
• The quicker you complete tasks, the more time you have for what you love.

We're no longer in a factory economy where time equals output. Today, we get paid for our attention, energy, and knowledge (and much more.)

But many are still trapped in the old mindset that time drives productivity.

Want to have time for what you love? You've got to break that mindset.

It works! Sharing with permission a DM I received last week.

the how

If you're always running out of time for what and who you love, start managing your energy.

Ask yourself:

• What days of the week do I feel most energized?
• What hours of the day am I at my peak?
• What 3 tasks bring the most value at work?
• What 3 things do I always want time for outside of work?

Use your answers to create your ideal week plan - get clear on what you want, on how quality looks for you.

Then compare it to your current schedule. Adjust where possible and plan future weeks around your energy peaks.

Here's how my ideal plan looked in my last corporate role:

• I reserved my high-energy mornings (Tue & Thu) for deep work.
• With energy spikes after 4pm (Tue, Wed, & Thu), I tackled key projects.
• Mondays and Fridays are my low-energy days, so I kept them for admin tasks, meetings, and relationship-building.
• Evenings have never been productive for me, so unless urgent, I avoided working after 7pm.

Did I stick to this 100%? No, life happens. But following it 80% of the time made a huge impact on the quality of my life.

Everyone's schedule will look different, especially if you have kids or other responsibilities.

The goal is not to copy mine but to design a plan that fits your life, keeping you productive at work and fulfilled after.

result

When you start managing your energy with intention, you'll stop sacrificing what you love at work and at home.

And believe me, people will start wondering how you get it all done (but we won't mind them guessing, will we?).

your play of the week

Plan your schedule around your energy ???

Try the "ideal week" exercise:

• Identify when your energy is highest and lowest.
• Identify 3 valuable tasks at work.
• Identify 3 things you want time for outside of work.
• Design your ideal week.
• Adjust your current schedule.
• Plan future workweeks around your ideal plan.

Remember, perfection isn't the goal - aim for the 80/20 rule!

If you found this edition helpful, forward it to a friend or a colleague who needs time for what they love. And grab The Good Busy Playbooks with my 5-minute video guides.

Thank you for reading?????

Enjoy getting good busy!

See you next Monday,

Kate

P.S. Running out of time for what matters to you at & after work??

Here's how I can help:?

• End bad busyness - Join The Good Busy online course?| Gain 30% more time for family, fun, and personal goals! People will want to know your secret!
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